They're Doing it Again...

Let's get this out right now.  I''m arranging all the little electrons on this screen to say right up front:  "I DON'T WANT JOHN FARRELL AS THE RED SOX NEW MANAGER."

Stop pre-picking the guy you want to hire.  

Stop!  

John Farrell is NOT the person for the manager's  position in 2013.

You guys in the front office (LARRY) are NOT catching on.  Every time you have an organizational hard-on for  a player or manager, it turns out to be WRONG.

Go with someone NOT pre-disposed by your stubborn self-appointed superiority.

You need to OPENLY and THOROUGHLY interview people, and not go with soenone you liked when they worked here before.  I bet you that Ausmus or Pena would be much better choices than Mr. Farrell.   He is/was a great pitching coach, by all accounts.  However, that does NOT translate into a good manager.   He has not proven himself in Toronto.  He had player behavior issues (Escobar's little anti-gay slur on his eye-black).  They barely finished ahead of the Sox in the standings for crying out loud!

So again, STOP!   Go with a new person - and give them the power and autonomy to actually BE the manager.  Don't micro-manage from above.

Here's your chance - you LUCKED out like no other team by being able to dump those big salaried non-performers back in August.

Do it RIGHT.  

Start over.   I swear to God these guys are their own worst enemies.

Pay Attention

Do you know what is gone?  Thought.  Contemplation.  Reason.  Andyes, most definitely perspective.  You accomplish nothing when you act like stuborn children.   And that is for BOTH sides.  But if the "new wave" of Republican reactionaries are to blame for a loss of the countries credit rating or a precipitous rise in interest rates, and if there is NO action to closing taxloopholes or reform entitlements, then THEY should pay the bill. 

Oh, and just ofr the record, Donald Trump is an idiot.
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Inflexible GOP should listen to Reagan on debt



By John Avlon, CNN Contributor   
July 28, 2011 1:59 p.m. EDT




(CNN) -- As the debt-ceiling deadline ticks closer, conservatives in Congress are fighting among themselves. The civil war is between responsible Republicans and extreme ideologues. The question is whether the collateral damage will include the American economy.


House Speaker John Boehner abruptly abandoned his attempt to negotiate a "grand bargain" on the deficit and the debt with President Barack Obama because of a lack of support among tea party members, and now he is struggling to keep support for his Plan B intact in the face of an open rebellion.


A senior staff member of the Republican Study Committee was found to have been e-mailing conservative activist groups, encouraging them to attack Boehner's late-inning option as being insufficiently radical. The all-or-nothing impulse makes enemies even of allies.


In the face of this political crisis masquerading as a fiscal crisis, it seems that no one can unite the Republican Party, let alone the nation. If far-right conservatives can't listen to reason, maybe they will listen to Ronald Reagan.


Because Reagan had stern words for Congress when it tried to play political games with the debt ceiling in 1987. They still ring true today.


I was at the Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California, on Thursday to hear my wife, Margaret Hoover, speak in support of her new book, and I inquired about a Reagan quote that Obama referenced in his Monday night prime-time speech. Reagan offered this particular dose of common sense on September 26, 1987, in a national radio address. Here is the key part of the text:


"Unfortunately, Congress consistently brings the government to the edge of default before facing its responsibility. This brinkmanship threatens the holders of government bonds and those who rely on Social Security and veterans benefits. Interest markets would skyrocket. Instability would occur in financial markets and the federal deficit would soar.


"The United States has a special responsibility to itself and the world to meet its obligations. It means we have a well-earned reputation for reliability and credibility -- two things that set us apart in much of the world."


Congressional Republicans should read that paragraph out loud twice before going to vote on the debt ceiling in the next few days. It is essentially the same argument Obama has been making. But in our current hyper-partisan environment reason doesn't resonate across party lines. Instead, there is too often an overheated impulse to oppose Obama at any cost. Hearing the same argument from the Gipper might inspire a needed sense of perspective.


That loss of perspective is a key symptom of hyper-partisanship. It causes people to forget that the national interest comes before partisan interests. This affliction is epidemic at the moment. Whole segments of the GOP 2012 presidential field are debt-ceiling deniers, arguing that defaulting on our debt doesn't really matter.


Tim Pawlenty has said that he "hopes and prays" that the debt ceiling isn't lifted. Ron Paul made this approach the cornerstone of his first ads. Rep. Michele Bachmann says, nonsensically, that she doesn't believe the nation will default on August 2 but she'll vote against raising the debt ceiling anyway.


There are believed to be dozens of votes in the House Republican caucus who will also oppose any raising of the debt ceiling. They are like a person who refuses to pay a credit card bill after a spending spree and calls it a stand for fiscal responsibility.


The most insidious line of argument is one that encourages default for supposed political advantage.


This sentiment is most often articulated behind closed doors, but Donald Trump brought it out into the open, telling Fox News on Monday: "Unless Republicans get 100% of what they want -- and that may include getting rid of 'Obamacare,' which is a total disaster -- they should not make a deal other than a minor extension which would take you before the elections which would ensure that Obama doesn't get elected, which would be a great thing. ... The Republicans have the leverage. I don't care about polls. When it comes time to default, they're not going to remember any of the Republicans' names. They are going to remember in history books one name, and that's Obama."


What can you say about such a breathtakingly cynical and nihilistic approach to politics, other than it is the exact opposite of John McCain's 2008 campaign slogan, "Country First."


Responsible Republicans are beginning to understand that the conservative populist fires they have stoked to win elections can be the enemy of effective governance. Fiscal responsibility and fiscal conservatism have been effectively delinked. Even a conservative icon such as Reagan would not pass the litmus tests imposed today. After all, Reagan raised the debt ceiling successfully 17 times and increased the deficit during his term in office, a byproduct of his successful strategy to spend the Soviet Union into oblivion.


Most significantly, he closed dozens of tax loopholes as a means of lowering tax rates while still raising revenues -- the same approach that was labeled an unacceptable tax hike by anti-tax absolutists and killed the prospects for a grand bargain with Obama and Boehner.


Reagan governed effectively with a Congress controlled by Democrats. There were principled differences and heated debates, but in the end, the two sides were able to reason together and negotiate in good faith, understanding that all or nothing is not a practical option between fellow countrymen. By demonizing people we disagree with -- especially the president of the United States -- we demean our democracy.


We are playing a dangerous game right now. Republicans do not know what will happen in their own conference, let alone what plan might pass both the House and Senate. And even if we avoid default, this Kabuki theater could have the consequence of downgrading our credit rating. The alleged purpose of this fight has been essentially forgotten -- tax and entitlement reforms are not on the table right now. This will eventually be seen as a lost opportunity. We are just fighting to avoid default.


The dysfunctional debt-ceiling debate needs a dose of common sense before it is too late. Perhaps the unifying figure of Reagan will provide a reinforcement of reason. It's sad and stupid to have to say, but conservatives might accept an argument made by the Gipper, even as they ignore the same appeal made by the current president of the United States.

PISSED OFF

I am SICK and TIRED of the lying bullshit.  I loathe the political posturing and arrogant behavior being exhibited by people who have been elected to act like intelligent adults.
I am more than fed up with it.
I have been an Independent since the day I could vote.  I have voted conscientiously in every election since then.  I try to research as much as I can about the people and issues before casting my vote.  I don't give a rat's ass which party people are from because I want them to do the best job possible.  I am utterly tolerant that others have different opinions - and respect that, assuming they are based on logical principles and they can put forth some kind of intelligent argument for their position.
I have come to believe that the 2-party system is broken in today's America.  I firmly believe that the entire monetary lobbying system and profession should be illegal.  I disagree, but respect, the Supreme Court's ruling that corporations are equivalent to people. They are not.   I believe that so-called "think tanks" are detrimental to the process - AND that they are nothing more than money & influence-grubbing entities of little value.
I further believe that the narcissistic environment of today has done nothing but hurt our country and society.
The 24-hour cable "news" networks are ALL jokes.  I understand that media has had a long history of partisan behavior.  I also know that once there was an integrity to mass-access media outlets that attempted to provide unbiased journalism, respecting the intelligence of the viewer/reader in that they tried to present THE FACTS and the history of a given subject, and let those people form their own decisions and conclusions from that.  They would also have a CLEARLY stated area or time-slot that was OPINION.
We even AWARDED these entities for their attempts at this kind of behavior.
No more. That is gone. What remains is bullshit.
To Congress, I call bullshit.
To CNN, MSNBC and FOX, I call bullshit.
Grover Norquist is not an elected official.  Any idiotic pledge he elicits should hold no water.  Congress reports to ME...to US.  He should be sent on his way as irrelevant.

It has gone way beyond looking to persuade and move forward through the encouragement of intelligent discourse.  There is no respect for anyone. 

I agree with this opinion piece below.... Yes, it is opinion.
But I also KNOW that the stated facts are true, and I have a problem with people and media flat out lying.
It's not fun, nor is it funny any more. 
And mocking through satire loses its effect when people are to ignorant to get it for what it is - a request ofr changed behavior. 

Change is needed.  I still believe that a large, large portion of this country is made up of what was once called the silent majority..... people who understood the reality of the middle, of the give and take necessary to move the country in the right direction.  People who were more aware and sentient than the extreme, outspoken edges.
It is time for action from THESE people.
Everyone else?  Shut up.  You have done harm to the country and the system....and to actual people.  We will not let you hijack our country, politics, systems, education or anything else any more.

It's beyond the point regarding this subject where we say "If anything untoward happens....there will be hell to pay."  It's already too late.  The bullshit has reached the top.  There already NEEDS to be hell to pay.

I want sacrifice where it's needed.  I want people to do right, sane, logical, proper thing.  I want civility.

And I want the bullshit to end.  NOW.
-------

Still True Today: Frequently Forgotten Facts of the Debt Debate


By Michael Grunwald Wednesday, July 27, 2011


If the debt-limit debate had anything to do with reality, every story about it would include a few basic facts. Starting with: President Obama inherited a $1.2 trillion budget deficit. And: Republican leaders supported the tax cuts and wars that (along with the recession, another pre-Obama phenomenon) created that deficit. Also: Republicans engineered this crisis by attaching unprecedented ideological demands to a routine measure allowing the U.S. to pay its bills. Finally, Obama and the Democrats keep meeting those demands—for spending cuts, then for more spending cuts, and even for nothing but spending cuts—but Republicans keep holding out for more.
These are verifiable facts, not opinions. But since they aren’t new facts, and re-reporting them would make “GOP claims” about the crisis look, um, non-factual, they’re rarely mentioned, except as “Democratic claims.” This is a real problem for journalism in an era where—now this is an opinion—one of the major parties has abandoned its grip on reality. I understand why objective reporters aren’t encouraged to contradict political lies with historical truths, but this hostage drama is one of the prices of our era of amnesia.
Look, staying in opinion-land, I think this particular hostage drama could conceivably drive budget policy in a good direction. I’d love to see big cuts in spending on agriculture, housing and the military. We do need to restrain long-term Medicare and Medicaid costs, although there are better and worse ways to do that. There’s still a chance to eliminate ludicrous tax breaks for ethanol producers, private jet owners and hedge fund managers, maybe paired with an economy-boosting payroll tax cut to help Republicans honor their no-new-taxes pledges.
In other words, it’s at least possible that this crisis the Republicans created could have a beneficial effect. It’s also possible that this crisis the Republicans created could cripple the full faith and credit of the U.S. government, plunge the economy back into recession, and increase borrowing costs for just about everyone. But whatever happens, Republicans created this crisis. They blew up the debt. They refused to raise the debt ceiling without conditions. And because of their internal divisions, they can’t even decide what those conditions should be. They initially demanded a breakdown of 85% spending cuts and 15% revenue increases, before deciding the deal had to be 100% spending cuts. Some initially praised the bipartisan Gang of Six plan—until Obama endorsed it. Now Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has a proposal for 100% spending cuts, all of which Republicans had already endorsed –until, of course, Reid proposed them.


I remember back when I was at The Washington Post, a guy named Matt Miller (unsuccessfully) pitched my boss about running a daily front-page feature called “Still True Today,” to inform readers about important facts that didn’t happen to be newsworthy that day. Miller’s plan wouldn’t really address the problem of a major political party creating its own fact-free reality. And I don’t know how many minds would be changed by constant reminders that President Clinton left behind a substantial surplus, that President Bush vaporized it into a gigantic deficit, that President Obama’s health care reforms will actually reduce the deficit.
But it does seem to be worth pointing out that those facts are still true today. Not that they seem to matter.

The Young Adults Reunion ....

The Young Adults, "Complex World" from Jonathan Flynn on Vimeo.

 

A man named Sherwood Schwartz passed away the other day, on July 12th, 2011. He was the creator of many things in entertainment, most notably the creator of ‘Gilligan’s Island’ and ‘The Brady Bunch’. Being the age I am, many evenings and, later, afternoons were filled watching those shows. Classics of their time.  Corny, but as a kid you couldn't turn them off.....



Mr. Schwatrz left a letter, it seems. It was published the day after he died in The Hollywood Reporter, and it bears repeating here. Originality is key … wish I could be that creative.


Thanks for the laughs, Sherwood! RIP

--------

A Conversation at the Gates

One day in the not to distant future, I will find myself standing in front of the Pearly Gates.


I knock.


A pleasant voice calls out, “Who’s there?”


“Sherwood Schwartz,” I answer.


“One moment,” says the Voice. “I have lots of Schwartzes on my list. Did you say Sherwood?”


“Yes, Sherwood Schwartz. I was born November 14, 1916. My parents were Rose and Herman Schwartz.”


“Yes, yes, I have it right here. Your parents love you very much.”


“I loved them very much as well. I lived with them until I got married.”


“To Mildred, according to my records,” says the Voice.


“Yes. I never believed in love at first sight until I met Mildred. I always thought ‘Love at first sight’ was just poetic babble.”


“That’s what they all say until it happens to them.”


“I loved Mildred with all my heart for over sixty-nine years. I’m sure she loved me as much as I loved her.”


“She did,” says the Voice. “And you had four children, Donald, Lloyd, Ross, and Hope.”


“Four wonderful children,” I couldn’t help adding.


“All of them quite different, but all of them talented, and hard-working. I’m pleased I was able to watch each of them reach certain goals.”


“You sound very proud of them,” says the Voice.


“Mildred and I were always very proud. We took good care of them when we were young, and they took good care of us when we got old.”


“I see they each have two children; Donald two girls, Lloyd two boys, Ross two girls, and Hope two girls.”


“All of them talented and industrious, like their parents,” I say. “All well-educated in different professions: Medicine, Law, and Entertainment.”


“I see you also have four great grandchildren. Two great granddaughters, and two great grandsons.”


I say, “You keep very good records.”


“I have to,” says the Voice. “People keep coming and going all the time. You’ve been pretty busy yourself. After college you started writing and you never stopped.”


“That’s because writing isn’t a profession; it’s a disease. And it’s accompanied by a disease that’s even worse, rewriting.”


“I know all about that,” says the Voice. “You’re not the first writer to knock on my gate. But at least you were successful. Many writers are not.”


“That’s true. I’ve been well-rewarded with plenty of money for me, for my family, and for my many charities.”


“A good life I would say,” says the Voice, “With plenty of awards and honors.”


“And plenty of hard knocks from critics,” I reply.


“That comes with the territory,” says the Voice. “But you’ve had lots of compensation. Not just money; thousands of fan letters you’ve received from people all over the world, thanking you for entertaining them with words that brought them a smile or a laugh, sometimes when they needed it most.”


Then the Voice continues apologetically, “I didn’t mean to keep you waiting outside the gate. Go ahead: Ask.”


Ask what they all want to know when they knock at my gate: Am I going to heaven or not?”


“That’s what I was going to ask when I got here,” I say. “Then I suddenly realized something when we talked. Heaven is where I’ve been since the day I was born.”


A fond farewell,


SHERWOOD SCHWARTZ

See What Happens When You "Friggin' Smack It" ?!!!!!

If you didn't see this...watch this.  Yeah - it's soccer.  Shut up and watch it.
:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JOAJn8h6VAI&feature=player_embedded

Best description of a play by an athlete ever goes to Megan Rapinoe of the US Women's National Team when asked about her kick to Abby Wambach in the 122nd minute of their game with Brazil:

"I just took a touch and friggin' smacked it with my left foot," Rapinoe said after the game,  "I don't think I've ever hit a ball like that with my left foot. I got it to the back post and that beast in the air just got a hold of it."

If you watch the replay over and over, you can just BARELY tell that Rapinoe could see Wambach's hand point towards the right goalpost.... and that's EXACTLY where the kick went...on what was to have been the last opportunity to even the score before going home in defeat.   And Wambach slammed it into the net with a perfect header....

A team with players that believe in themselves...and who know they can overcome just about any diversity.

GO USA !!!!!!    

And Now, a Pet Dog

He can sit, lie down and roll over. Try giving him a pet and watch how he responds. Keep him entertained by playing ball or giving him a bone. Reward him by giving him a treat. To get him to sit, double-click your mouse on the ground close to him. Double-click again to get him to lie down. Then hold your mouse button down and make a circular motion to tell him to roll over.